Super canal would be Britain’s biggest fishery

A new super canal would be Britain’s biggest fishery… if we managed it correctly and encouraged newcomers to use it.

A new super canal stretching from Scotland to London could become Britain’s biggest fishery.

The project has been tabled by engineering consultants Aecom and its main purpose would be to transport water between North and South. The South East of England is one of the driest and most populated regions in the UK, whilst the East of the country is even drier and requires more water for agriculture.

The knock on effect of a canal for recreation hasn’t been lost by the team behind the project and a spokesman for the Environment Agency was supportive of the thinking.

“We are always pleased to see organisations highlighting new thinking and stimulating innovation in the water sector.”

Aecom estimates that a 10-15m wide canal would cost between £12-15bn and although that may seem high stakes investment, by 2030 the UK needs to produce 50 per cent more food than it does today, according to the government, and we will need 30 per cent more fresh water.

The plan may not need public funding because of the number of different services it could provide. However, given the wide range of different organisations that could be involved, including water companies, transmission operators, data centres, forestry companies and a whole slew of local authorities, it would need government support to make it happen.

DCD boss Roger Surgay said: “More water and more fish has to be a good thing for the sport – we just need infrastructure in fishing to show people how to use canals for recreation.”